BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 5, 2010– The new director of The Arts Center at The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College wants to compose a reputation for providing high quality artistic performances to entertain and teach arts enthusiasts of all ages.

Dr. Daniel Barnard began work as the first director of the new teaching and performance venue on Thursday, Feb. 4.

“I was born for this job, especially the presenting part and seeing things come through,” he said.

Barnard will schedule events and lead a proposed advisory committee made of students, faculty and staff to offer input for programming at The Arts Center.

“The state-of-the art performance hall accommodates a variety of cultural productions, including orchestras, operas, dance, plays and musicals,” said Irv Downing, vice president for Economic Development and Community Services at UTB/TSC. “Dr. Barnard is well qualified to meet the responsibilities of the position and develop the facility to its fullest potential.”

Barnard is also eager to begin developing a performing arts season, which would replace the annual Arts and Entertainment Series held at Jacob Brown Auditorium that has attracted past performers, including the St. Petersburg Classic Ballet, Opera Verdi Europa and Teatro Milago.

“We will probably have a new vision for the series,” Barnard said. “We certainly want to be responsive to all the cultural constituencies in the area.”

Barnard has planned arts series before, having developed a guest musician series geared toward music students at Dakota Wesleyan University and the Music at Noon concert series at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College in Pennsylvania.

His academic interests are in classical, jazz and world music. Barnard has also been active in fundraising throughout his academic career.

“Most of the fundraising was for performance tours, which are notoriously difficult to raise funds for because they are so temporary,” said Barnard. “But over the years, I have learned a number of successful approaches.”

Dr. Sue Zanne Urbis, chair of the Fine Arts Department at UTB/TSC, said she liked Barnard’s knowledge in audience development and underwriting.

“Dr. Barnard brings an incredible background and expertise to The Arts Center,” she said. “We are confident in his ability to guide The Arts Center to its full potential.”

Barnard comes to Brownsville from Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D. where he was a composer in residence and director of the Music Department in the College of Arts and Humanities from 2007 to earlier this year.

He has also been director of the Choral Music Program at Penn State Behrend and at Western Nebraska Community College.

He is a member of the Society of Composers Inc., American Composers Forum, the International Association of Assembly Managers and the Association of Performing Arts Presenters.

Barnard was born in California and grew up in Wichita Falls in North Texas. He has bachelor’s degree in music in vocal performance from West Texas State University. Barnard also has a master’s in music in theory and composition from the University of Northern Colorado and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition from the University of Kansas.

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